[WinMac] Re: USB-serial

Daniel L. Schwartz(expresso[at]snip.net)
Wed, 24 Mar 1999 15:25:29 -0500

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        Yes, there are USB <--> serial converters. Unfortunately, they still fall
into the same pitfall that the APC BackUPS Pro twins fall into... No driver
software.

        To put together a nonstop server, i.e a server with both a constant
connection to the Internet as well as having the "A" and "MX" records
pointed to it, it *has* to stay up 100% of the time. Period. Or else you
start getting retries when other SMTP hosts try to connect to send it
mail... IF they are configured to retry! :)

        That means failover capability with redundant hardware, crash-proof
software, uninterruptible power supplies (generator or battery), yada yada
yada...

        Also, another BIG part of the equation is the file system...

        What happens when the machine crashes due to external influences, i.e. a
power failure that causes an ungraceful shutdown? HFS+ just isn't there
yet. My pet feature of NT is its Native Transactional File System (NTFS).
As long as you don't use SuperCache in Write-Back mode, all data is safe,
even if you hit the reset button on the front panel!

        Cheers!
        Dan

At 09:24 PM 3/23/99 -0500, John D. Muccigrosso wrote:
>Dan wrote, quoting Curtis:
>
>>>I'm sorry but it's not apparent to me what the problem is with a non-iMac
>>>G3 as a 24/7 server. The only thing I can think of that you can't easily
>>>add is redundant power supplies. And since it's possible through 3rd
>>>parties to get a G3 motherboard in a rack mount case even that omission
>can
>>>be remedied.
>>
>> The problem is with both the iMac and the blue & white G3's: There's no
>> graceful shutdown available from the UPS, because there's no serial
>input.
>> There's a pair of small UPS' from APC that have a USB interface; but only
>> windoze 98 software.
>
>I'm not sure about compatibility with UPS's, but check out
>
><http://www1.macintouch.com/imacusb.html>
>
>for USB-serial (as well as other) converters for iMacs and new G3s. Today's
>Macintouch also reports:
>
><http://www.macintouch.com/>
>
>"MacInTouch sources report that a new serial adapter for blue G3 Power Mac
>models is due for release within a few weeks. Like Griffin Technology's
>upcoming gPort adapter, the new device fits into the modem slot of a blue
>G3 Power Mac and offers both MIDI and LocalTalk compatibility, plus support
>of other serial devices. Pricing reportedly will be about $50."
>
>(BTW, I agree with the expressed sentiments (by Carl and Dan?) about
>appropriate quotation. My complaint was with excessive and (apparently)
>mindless quotation of large and irrelevant chunks of previous messages,
>including long signatures. It takes a moment or two, but selective editing
>is a big help.)
>
>John D. Muccigrosso Classics Department
>jmuccigr@drew.edu Drew University

 ++++++++++++++++++++

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